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Westcott Theater reopens

SYRACUSE, NY — The Wescott Theater, formerly the Westcott Cinema, reopened over the weekend as a performing arts center and bar after being closed for 11 months.

The new owners have torn up seats, installed spotlights, built a bar in one of the hall’s corners, and added a stage underneath the movie screen. The Wescott is looking to host music acts and community events as well as film festivals.

The single-screen independent theater has been open since 1928, operating first as the Harvard, then as the Studio. It has had its ups and downs over the years, running porn in the 1970s and second-run movies in the 1980s before switching to art and alternative films in the 1990s. Competition from nearby theaters finally forced its closing last year.

The owners had planned to open last January or February, but renovations to the old building took longer than expected.